My kitchen refit starts 3 weeks today but won't be finished until next year when I have decided on the splash backs. This has been a project 2 years in the making due to several builders agreeing to do the work only to never hear from them again & also some very poor service from kitchen shops. Finally I have a builder on board who will move a doorway to accommodate the new position for my fridge freezer and fit a Second Nature kitchen in elm that is to replace an old cream shaker one. Most of the appliances are staying as they are newish but for the first time I will have a dishwasher, a wall mounted oven so I can see what is cooking & a Franke under mounted corner sink which was a brand new ebay bargain. I am switching from gas to a white induction hob that will hopefully fit seamlessly into white quartz countertops. I am so excited, all this in a 2.6m x 2.8m kitchen. I have also asked the countertop peeps to smooth off an additional piece of quartz to fit the sink aperture so I can use that as additional work space. I am boring my boyfriend with endlessly searching for the best deals on things and trying my luck haggling which is not usually like me but lots of fun! Good luck everyone with your projects; I look forward to seeing the 'after' pictures. alant1000 - I love your new kitchen, it looks fab!

Thanks all. 1. A carpenter/fitter is coming around on Sat for the kitchen - I'll ask him for a quote for this too. In the meantime, I've been googling/thinking, and saw this from IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/washstands-taps/wash-stands/fullen-wash-basin-cabinet-white-art-70189041/ (& pale green countertop: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/washstands-taps/wash-stands/viskan-countertop-pale-green-art-70354804) I just need to remove a slice of the base at the rear for it to be level with the top of the basin. Hope that doesn't look weird. 2. Will paint the door frame - satinwood or similar. Easy one, that. :) 3./4. Will look at the navy/teal/dark grey wallpapers and paint. I think a combination of them may look really good. Have requested some samples - just waiting for them to arrive now! Great. Can't wait to get going now.

If those kitchen units are sound it appears they suit the character of the building. It seems a shame to plan on ripping them out. If anything it is the colour of them that is wrong. I would find a tile that I loved and do all the splashback up to the wall cupboards including the cooker back and remove the little upstand from the worksurface too. Get the units professionally repainted to compliment the tiling. Dispense with the roller blind and maybe get a painted wooden venetian then get a large rug to make it all feel more cosy. A bit more than a paint job but a lot less disruptive than a whole new kitchen.

The floor is straightforward and neutral. When the mint pain is gone you probably won’t even notice it. Patterned floor tiles are lovely but I bet they date really quickly, they seem like a trend to me. If all you did was paint the walls a dark blue the whole place would look better and it’s only paint! Easy to change if you don’t like it or it goes out of style.